Horizon: Zero Dawn’s PS4 Pro Patch Doesn’t Do What Was Expected

Horizon: Zero Dawn has been touted as one of the technical showcases for the PlayStation 4 Pro, but the game’s latest patch enabling different modes of play on the PS4 Pro doesn’t do what most were expecting. Horizon: Zero Dawn developer, Guerilla Games, promised a day one patch that would include the ability to enable a Performance mode that would favor smoother frame rates.

While the patch does do that, it does it in a way that is unexpected. To explain, most games on the PS4 Pro have a mode that directs the power of the console to frame rate over resolution; however, games like Tomb Raider and inFamous do that by completing unlocking the frame rate leading to a faster albeit sometimes less smooth experience. Instead of this method, which most gamers expected Guerilla Games to do, the Performance mode enabled in patch 1.02 actually locks the frame rate at 30 frames per second rather than unfettering it to target a smoother presentation of the game.

Eurogamer explains that Horizon: Zero Dawn’s Performance mode uses the PS4 Pro’s GPU to close in on the game’s targeted 30 FPS, in the attempt to get rid of any of the game’s dropped frames. That leads to a display mode that is not a huge change over the 4K mode that favors resolution because the game already runs smoothly with very little hiccups in frame rate.

The Performance mode drops the resolution of Horizon: Zero Dawn down to 1080p even on 4K TVs, so it appears to be a better choice to go with the standard PS4 Pro mode for the game that favors the 4K resolution. The minor increase to performance does not appear to justify the drop in resolution.

Horizon: Zero Dawn launched this week to positive reviews, and is the first new IP developed by Guerilla Games since the studio worked on the Killzone franchise. Game Rant praised the game for its vibrant world, stunning detail, and inventive story. Also, be sure to check out Game Rant’s guide to finding the Power Cells in the game, the first of many upcoming Horizon: Zero Dawn guides.